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Wide gaps in mortality risk: comparisons among race - sex groups across time and space dimensions

Age-adjusted Mortality: United States and North Carolina
Table 1 provides U.S. and N.C. rates for 1977 with corresponding percent changes
since 1973- For total deaths and the five leading causes, U.S. and N.C. race-sex
trends are depicted in Figures 1-6. These graphs use the logarithmic scale in order
to depict the relat i ve (as opposed to absolute) changes in death rates.
Age-adjusted Mortality: North Carolina Health Service Areas and Counties
Table 2 shows HSA total adjusted rates for 1978 and percent changes since 1973.
These rates show the greatest differences among HSA's to involve excessive nonwhite
mortality in the Southern Piedmont and excessive white mortality in the Cardinal.
In general, there exists some tendency towards an inverse relationship between white
and nonwhite mortality, e.g., the three easternmost HSA's are experiencing above-average
white mortality and below-average nonwhite mortality.
Examining cause-specific mortality among the HSA's, Table 3 lists an HSA if its
197^"78 cause-race-sex-specific rate exceeded the corresponding N.C. rate by 10^ or
more. Single-year HSA data for the period are also available.
For counties, five-year total age-adjusted rates for race-sex groups are depicted
in Figure 7 where counties are grouped according to quintile. Counties at the upper
end of a range of death rates should carefully consider the present analysis and
request their own cause-specific data in order to ferret out the causes of excessive
mortality in one or more race-sex groups.
Table 2
1978 Age-adjusted Death Rates with Percent Changes
Since 1973. Race-sex Groups
N.C. Health Service Areas
HSA
Race and Sex |
White
Male
White
Female
Nonwhi te
Male
Nonwh i te
Female
1978
Percent
Change 1978
Percent
Change 1978
Percent
Change 1978
Percent
Change
Western 799-5 -10.6 399.5 -13.9 1135.8 -17.3 702.1. -20.3
Piedmont 8U.'< -12.1. ItOli.l -1I..2 121.6.7 - 9.1 655-9 -20.1.
Southern Piedmont 817.1 -10.2 1.00.7 -12.8 1359.7 + 1.3 723.2 -16.7
Capital 922.6 - 5.1. 1.32.3 - 9.1. 111.7.3 -13-9 51.9.1 -23-9
Cardinal Sit?. 6 -12.3 1.57.7 -15.1 1155.1. -18.9 620.2 -25.2
Eastern 916-9 -11.1. 1.53.7 -13.7 1192.5 -12.4 621.8 -18.3
North Carol ina 850.9 -11.0 1.18.9 -13-1. 1201.9 -12.1 631.0 -20.9
Di scussion
Due to the variability often associated with small numbers, some counties
—
especially western counties—may have abnormally high or low rates, especially non-white
rates. This is the case with high nonwhite male rates in Mitchell and Cherol<ee
and the high nonwhite female rate in Alleghany. Otherwise, age-adjusted rates by
county and cause
—
available for the asking—should help researchers and others to
"zero in" on the particular mortality risks of race-sex groups in local areas.

Age-adjusted Mortality: United States and North Carolina
Table 1 provides U.S. and N.C. rates for 1977 with corresponding percent changes
since 1973- For total deaths and the five leading causes, U.S. and N.C. race-sex
trends are depicted in Figures 1-6. These graphs use the logarithmic scale in order
to depict the relat i ve (as opposed to absolute) changes in death rates.
Age-adjusted Mortality: North Carolina Health Service Areas and Counties
Table 2 shows HSA total adjusted rates for 1978 and percent changes since 1973.
These rates show the greatest differences among HSA's to involve excessive nonwhite
mortality in the Southern Piedmont and excessive white mortality in the Cardinal.
In general, there exists some tendency towards an inverse relationship between white
and nonwhite mortality, e.g., the three easternmost HSA's are experiencing above-average
white mortality and below-average nonwhite mortality.
Examining cause-specific mortality among the HSA's, Table 3 lists an HSA if its
197^"78 cause-race-sex-specific rate exceeded the corresponding N.C. rate by 10^ or
more. Single-year HSA data for the period are also available.
For counties, five-year total age-adjusted rates for race-sex groups are depicted
in Figure 7 where counties are grouped according to quintile. Counties at the upper
end of a range of death rates should carefully consider the present analysis and
request their own cause-specific data in order to ferret out the causes of excessive
mortality in one or more race-sex groups.
Table 2
1978 Age-adjusted Death Rates with Percent Changes
Since 1973. Race-sex Groups
N.C. Health Service Areas
HSA
Race and Sex |
White
Male
White
Female
Nonwhi te
Male
Nonwh i te
Female
1978
Percent
Change 1978
Percent
Change 1978
Percent
Change 1978
Percent
Change
Western 799-5 -10.6 399.5 -13.9 1135.8 -17.3 702.1. -20.3
Piedmont 8U.'< -12.1. ItOli.l -1I..2 121.6.7 - 9.1 655-9 -20.1.
Southern Piedmont 817.1 -10.2 1.00.7 -12.8 1359.7 + 1.3 723.2 -16.7
Capital 922.6 - 5.1. 1.32.3 - 9.1. 111.7.3 -13-9 51.9.1 -23-9
Cardinal Sit?. 6 -12.3 1.57.7 -15.1 1155.1. -18.9 620.2 -25.2
Eastern 916-9 -11.1. 1.53.7 -13.7 1192.5 -12.4 621.8 -18.3
North Carol ina 850.9 -11.0 1.18.9 -13-1. 1201.9 -12.1 631.0 -20.9
Di scussion
Due to the variability often associated with small numbers, some counties
—
especially western counties—may have abnormally high or low rates, especially non-white
rates. This is the case with high nonwhite male rates in Mitchell and Cherol